Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Add Tennesse and Oklahoma to 2003 Football Schedule
8/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 19, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State head football coach Pat Hill's philosophy of playing "anyone anywhere" will continue in 2003 as the school announced the addition two universities that have won two of the last four national football championships.
Scott Johnson, Director of Athletics, announced today that Fresno State has signed contracts to play at the University of Tennessee on August 30, 2003, and at the University of Oklahoma on Sept. 13, 2003. Fresno State has never played Tennessee or Oklahoma. The Tennessee vs. Fresno State game is tentatively scheduled for ESPN.
"We are very excited to be able to continue to showcase our University and football program with games against Tennessee and Oklahoma." Johnson said. "We worked hard to get these two deals finalized. There was some juggling of the schedule accommodate the additions of these teams, but overall our non-conference schedule for 2003 will be very impressive."
The Sooners won the 2000 national championship and have been ranked either first or second in the majority of the 2002 preseason polls. The Sooners have been ranked no lower than fifth in any preseason poll for this season. Oklahoma plays in Memorial Stadium, which seats 72,765 fans and has sold out every game under new coach Bob Stoopes, who has a three-year record of 31-7 and was the 2000 national coach of the year.
Fresno State will not travel to San Diego State on Aug. 30, 2003, as previously scheduled. Both schools agreed not to play that game. That created the opening to play Tennessee. The Bulldogs and Aztecs are in negotiations to extend that series in the future.
"Opening the season at Tennessee will be a great environment for our players," Hill said. "When you talk about the top programs in college football over the last 10 years, Tennessee has been as good as anyone. They have great tradition, one of the nation's premier stadiums and a great college football environment."
The Volunteers won the 1998 national championship and are ranked No. 4 in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and No. 5 in the AP poll. Coached by Phil Fulmer, Tennessee has the best record in the SEC over the last nine years. Fulmer is the active NCAA coaching leader with an 84-17 record and a winning percentage of .832. The Volunteers play in 104,000-seat Neyland Stadium.
Also on the Bulldog schedule is a home game with Oregon State on Sept. 6, 2003, and a road game at Colorado State, scheduled for Oct. 4, 2003.
One more home game and the 2003 WAC schedule will be announced at a later date.
